Christmas Cookie Recipe: Chocolatey Church Windows

When it comes to the holiday season, there are just certain things we can’t live without. Or at least, there are certain things we think we can’t live without. One of those items for me is a family Christmas cookie recipe that has been handed down for at least three generations. It’s called Church Windows.

Now, this nifty little cookie gets its name because it resembles a stained glass “church” window. The chocolate will form the frame and the marshmallows are the colored “glass” inside. Take my word for it, because if you see a plate of these cookies go by, grab one. I’ve never seen anyone sit and study the design, only devour the cookie.

Even though this cookie doesn’t have any decoration on it that resembles Christmas, like a tree or Santa Claus, it is only made near the holidays. Why? I’ll never know, nor will I ever make it during a “non-holiday” time of year! Family tradition says so!

So, what makes this little cookie so great, you ask. First, it is simple to make. The kids can play a large role in making them, however they need supervision since it involves use of the stove. Second, they are very colorful and brighten up any holiday dessert table. Last, they have chocolate in them! What else needs to be said? Without further ado, here is the recipe for Church Windows.

Church Windows

1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips (milk chocolate won’t work, I’ve tried)
1 stick margarine (NOT butter)
½ c walnuts, optional

1 10 oz bag of colored marshmallows
2 c coconut
Wax paper

In a large saucepan, melt the margarine and the chocolate chips over medium heat. Stir often and watch closely so the chocolate does not scorch. When the mixture is completely smooth, set aside to cool slightly, for about five to ten minutes.

While you are waiting, prepare the wax paper. Tear off two sheets that are both approximately 18” in length. Lay on a flat surface. Cover each sheet evenly with 1 cup of the coconut.

When the chocolate mixture is slightly cooled, stir in the walnuts and the marshmallows just until coated. Stirring too long will make the marshmallows melt (and that’s bad!)

Pour half of the mixture on the prepared wax paper lengthwise, in order to form a log. Pour the second half on the second sheet of wax paper. Using the extra coconut on the wax paper, cover the top of the chocolate mixture. The coconut will prevent the wax paper from sticking in the future. Take one side and roll over the mix, and keep rolling to form a log. Shape it so it makes a nice circle. Twist the edges so they are secure and to keep coconut from escaping! Immediately place in the fridge or freezer until they harden, at least 6 hours. When hardened, slice off ½ to 1” thick slices.

Church Windows can be stored in the refrigerator or the freezer one month. Keep in an air-tight container or bag to keep it from drying out.

Home D�cor That Artistic Windows Can Provide

These days, expressing our individual styles and preferences extends beyond what we wear to where we go home to. For example, the dimensions, colors, and lighting in rooms are taken into account when window coverings are being chosen. Concerns with light control, temperature and privacy are also considered in order to utilize the room’s design to provide the utmost in comfort and design.

Choosing Interior Designers

For homeowners looking for interior designers, there are several key qualifications they should look for. Interior designers should have completed formal training and should have undergone one to three year apprenticeships in architecture or design firms. Interior designers should have passed the licensure exam as well. The licensure exam for interior designers is administered by the National Council and they require applicants to have at least six years’ education and experience in the field of interior design.

For homeowners who want to have a distinct look and feel to their homes and are in need of experts to do it, Artistic Windows can provide both the designers as well as the interior design (including customized beddings, blinds, curtains, shutters, draperies, shades, window treatments and home décor). Artistic Window has been offering customized interior design and accents for several years and is an authorized Hunter Douglas dealer in Tampa. Artistic Windows can design homes in any style, such as French provincial and country, American, Shaker influence, eighteenth century style, eclectic, contemporary or minimalist.

A Stylistic Collaboration between Homeowners and Designers

At Artistic Windows, interior design is really a collaborative effort between homeowners and designers. The designers at Artistic Windows are experts when it comes to bringing the visions of homeowners to life. They understand that each homeowner has a specific idea of what they want their homes to look and feel like, and that it is their job to make this idea into a reality. Homes should provide both comfort and convenience and at the same time show guests the homeowner’s personal style. Clients are kept updated during every step of the way and everything involved with the project will be fully discussed and agreed upon.

Home Décor That Artistic Windows Can Provide

Artistic Windows provides estimates for flooring, wallpaper, curtains, shutters, draperies, shades, window treatments, beddings, blinds, valances and cornices. The blinds at Artistic Windows come in horizontal and vertical blinds and can be made with composite material, premium hardwoods, and aluminum or textured vinyl. Depending on what the clients prefers, colors may range from subdued to intense hues. Draperies at Artistic Windows can be made with silk, cotton, and blends, and in casual or sophisticated styles. The shades available at Artistic Windows are woven wood shades, Roman shades, and honeycomb shades which can be made to appear as sheer, semi-sheer, opaque and semi-opaque. These shades not only bring elegance and uniqueness to the room, but can also be energy efficient as well as sound absorbent. Draperies, blinds and shades can be used in combination with each other to enhance the room’s look and feel. On the other hand, the shutters at Artistic Windows can be made with premium hardwood or poly-satin compound. Due to their durability, they even come with lifetime warranties. Premium hardwood shutters can add elegance to any room whereas poly-satin compound shutters are built for hot and humid climates.

Contacting Artistic Windows

Just go to their office at 4004 W Neptune St #102, Tampa, FL 33629. To schedule consultations, call their phone number at 813-835-8805 or send a fax to 813-805-9371. You can also send an email to awindows@tampabay.rr.com and find out more about their services at http://www.artisticwindowsinc.com.

Top Ten Features of a Good Web Site

As a professional web design business, we have created and re-created many sites. The "great" ones have certain things in common. We thought we'd share those elements with you…

1. Easy to read. If background colors or images are used, the text on top of the background should be in a color that can easily be seen. Use a color scheme that complements and is pleasing to the eye. White space between images and sections of text make a page easier to view.

2. Easy to navigate. A visitor should be able to find the information they are looking for without hassle and frustration. The site's navigation buttons should be grouped together. If image links are used, text links should also be provided for those people who have images turned off on their browser or are using an older browser that doesn't support images.

3. Comfortably viewed. A Web site should be easily viewable in all screen sizes without a visitor having to scroll horizontally (left to right).

4. Quick to download. Graphics and sounds add download time to a Web page. Use them sparingly. Don't make your visitors wait too long for your site to download or they will click away and probably won't return. It is a good idea to find out what the approximate download times are for people who are using 28K and 56K telephone modems. Not everyone has DSL or cable Internet.

5. Avoid dead links. Make sure that links on all your pages are working, whether they are internal links to pages within your site, or links to external Web sites.

6. Keep the content fresh. People are more apt to return to your Web site if they find new and interesting material. Post articles on your site, offer a newly updated "Internet Special" or provide fresh, helpful links. All these things cause visitors to bookmark your site as a reference tool.

7. Clear and to the point. Visitors should have a clear understanding of what your Web site is about when they visit. Studies have shown that people do not like to read computer screens, so keep your Web site copy interesting to read and to the point.

8. Keep your target audience in mind. Think about the people who would be interested in visiting your Web site. If you are designing a web site about razor blades and shaving cream for men, the site should have a masculine feel to it. Decorating the page with pink hearts and roses would not be a good idea!

9. Provide a form for visitors to contact you. Visitors are more likely to fill out a form to contact you than clicking on an e-mail link. Always make things easy for your visitors… especially contacting you.

10. Browser compatible. Check your Web site in the most popular browsers to make sure everything is displayed properly. The top two browsers used are Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator, but there are others such as the AOL browser, Mosaic, Opera and Web TV to name a few. Various versions of the same browser also display differently. It is a good idea to have a program on your computer that checks browser and version compatibility.

As you may have noticed from the above list, a great Web site isn't about fancy graphics, java scripts and animations. It is about creating a pleasurable, useful experience for your visitors… one they will want to repeat over and over again!

Video Source: Youtube

Good buying Advise - COMPAQ PRESARIO V6000 Notebook Power Cord

Correct Laptop Power Cord for COMPAQ PRESARIO V6000 Laptop



COMPAQ PRESARIO V6000 Notebook Ac adapter 18.5volts dc / 3.5amps , 65W



Advise on getting Compaq Presario V6000 Series Notebook Power Cord:



Picking Correct laptop Replacement Charger might sound unproblematic by Nbbatt.com, few vital things to analyze essential. Replacement Charger is an distinguished Laptop Computer . Are you conscious having Power Cord is faulty, it will hamper your work to stop in midway? Even Though Laptop PC can utilize backup power stand by battery will last 2 - 3 Hour Thence do not under adjudicate its survival of Notebook malefactor, the Notebooks Power Cord.



Few primary characters to consider for good usage:



1.Making the tips right. Computers adapters have 2 ends by principle. One side is hooked into the power source. The second end is ordained PIN. It should be go to the 'Dc' in your laptop. Your laptop will specifically start up if the pins match. By no means stress the two jacks to go together.



2.Identify the appropriate "output current" Usually the horsepower demand are stamped CPU or can be seen in the guide. Set it first Use only the parallel electric voltage of your laptop the extensions.



Specs for the model COMPAQ PRESARIO V6000AC Adapters:



Power In - 110v - 240Volts/ 50 to 60hzs

Power Out : 18.5Volts DC , 3.5A

Power Rating - 65W

Amperes - up to 3.5A - means 2.4Amp , 2.74amps , 3.5a



Pay attention this adapter is compatible for any unit.



selecting the perfect V6000 adapter.



Do you perceive not completely power adapter works all laptops that represents the truth that you can't take on any adapter that they sell in the electronic business world.



You may have an urge for to analyze the succeeding recommendation before paying for the imitation power adapter for your PC.



Most importantly you must contract it to these areas.



1 Correct Part ID number

2 Input Power rating

3 Output power

4 Uniting extent



In the backside of your computer you will mind P/N number.

Web Site Optimization: How to Optimize PDF Files for Web Sites

Portable Document Format (PDF) is the defacto file format for presenting device-independent documents on and off the Web. While PDFs have become quite popular on the Web, many PDFs used in web sites are designed for high quality print output and are not optimized for the Web. Even PDFs designed for Web use can have a wait problem, weighed down with excess fonts, change histories, and unoptimized images and forms. Optimizing PDF files for the Web can significantly shrink their size and boost display speed, saving bandwidth and user frustration. (For the full “Optimize PDF Files for the Web” article, see http://www.websiteoptimization.com/speed/tweak/pdf/)

Creating Small PDFs

The main factors in creating small PDFs are image resolution, image type (bitmap or vector), the number of fonts used and how they are embedded, PDF version, and the level of compression. In general the higher the PDF version number, the smaller the file. Acrobat 5 (PDF version 1.4) added JBIG2 compression, which is superior to the CCITT or Zip algorithms when compressing scanned monochromatic copy.

JBIG2 (Joint Bilevel Image Experts Group) encoding compresses monochrome (1 bit per pixel) image data from 20:1 to 50:1 for pages full of text. Like other dictionary-based algorithms (LZW, ZIP) JBIG2 creates a table of unique symbols and when a subsequent symbol matches one in the table, it substitutes a token pointing to the table index. JBIG2 also compresses the entire table.

Acrobat 6 (PDF version 1.5) added the ability to compress the entire file (Clean Up Settings dialog). However, since over 90% of Acrobat users have version 5.0 or greater, using PDF 1.4 is a safer alternative. Acrobat will usually display (with a warning) a more recent PDF version, but new compression schemes will spawn an error when opened in older versions of Acrobat. At the time of this writing, Adobe says that of those 90%, 50% use version 5 and 40% use version 6.

To create the smallest possible PDFs file size for the Web minimize the number of fonts, bitmapped images, and substitute vector based-graphics instead. Minimize the number and complexity of forms in your PDF document, and avoid the use of multimedia.

There are different methods to create PDFs, including outputting to PostScript and Distilling, GDI/Printing, one-click "Direct to PDF," and dynamically on the server-side. However you create a PDF, the techniques and tools listed below can help you enhance and optimize your PDFs for the Web.

Avoid Refried Graphics

For graphics that must be inserted as bitmaps, prepare them for maximum compressibility and minimum dimensions. Use the best quality images that you can at the output resolution of the PDF. Inserting compressed JPEGs into PDFs and Distilling them may recompress JPEGs, which can create noticeable artifacts. Use black and white images and text instead of color images to allow the use of the newer JBIG2 standard that excels in monochromatic compression. Be sure to turn off thumbnails when saving PDFs for the Web.

Use Vector Graphics

Use vector-based graphics wherever possible for images that would normally be made into GIFs. Vector images scale perfectly, look marvelous, and their mathematical formulas usually take up less space than bitmapped graphics that describe every pixel (although there are some cases where bitmap graphics are actually smaller than vector graphics). You can also compress vector image data using ZIP compression, which is built into the PDF format. Acrobat Reader version 5 and 6 also support the SVG standard.

Minimize Fonts

How you use fonts, especially in smaller PDFs, can have a significant impact on file size. Minimize the number of fonts you use in your documents to minimize their impact on file size. Each additional fully embedded font can easily take 40K in file size, which is why most authors create "subsetted" fonts that only include the glyphs actually used.

Fix Fat Forms

Acrobat forms can take up a lot of space in your PDFs. You can use PDF Enhancer from Apago to reduce forms by 50% by removing information present in the file but never actually used. You can also combine a refried PDF with the old form pages to create a hybrid PDF in Acrobat.

Optimizing Existing PDFs

In many cases you won't have access to the original document, just the resulting PDF file. Many PDFs we've seen are not fully optimized for the Web, using conservative settings more appropriate to high-resolution printers. For computer monitors viewing web-based PDFs, you don't need high resolution images and exact reproduction of font faces, you just want to convey your information in an efficient way. Using the techniques outlined below, you can shrink your PDFs, while still maintaining the textual data for search engines, and reasonable quality for print output. Some webmasters offer two versions of their PDFs, once for fast web display, and one for printing.

Save As...

Once you're done making changes to your PDF document choose File -> Save As and overwrite your existing PDF file. By default, save as removes changes that are appended to PDFs by the Save command, linearizes the file for fast web viewing, and removes unused objects.

The result is a compact, linearized PDF that displays the first page (or an arbitrary page) quickly, while the rest of the file downloads in the background. Although linearized PDFs are slightly larger, they also increase perceived speed. Note that optimizing a signed document will invalidate its signature.

By Andy King
http://www.websiteoptimization.com

How to convert Limewire videos to AVI/WMV/MPG/MOV/MP4

Want to download Limewire videos and make full use of them, but wonders there maybe virus with the downloaded files that can cause a great loss for the files stored or even get your computer breakdown or damaged let alone make good use of them. This article comes out for this reason, it this article, you will learn how to download Limewire audio and video files and make the best of the videos.

Part I: How to download Limewire videos

I have seen many people who download audio and video files from Limewire complaining about the viruses, adware or spyware that may cause damage to the computer or application you are using. But as to my research the risk can be easily relieved by at least two means.

The first method is to scan the files before openning it. It doesn't take a genius to figure out how to use Limewire safely. The malware and viruses on it is not but a part of the Gnutella network that Limewire is using.

The second method is to use Limewire Pro, the upgraded version of Limewire (maybe cost you some money), Limewire Pro arms with AVG-Virus that should drive all the risks to the hell. Besides, it also equips with more improved features, go to its official website to learn more.

As to how to download your desired Limewire files, my previous article How to search and download files from Limewire has give you detailed instruction, just go there to experience.

Part II: How to make best use of Limewire videos

You may ask me how can I make full use of my downloaded Limewire files, while, there are many ways to play a role of these files to the greatest extent. But this maybe a non-direct process, sometimes by converting.

Of course you can play your Limewire files on some popular video players such as MPlayer, VLCPlayer, RealPlayer, Windows Media Player, QuickTime Player without any difficulty.

Or you can also put the Limewire files on various portable devices like iPod, iPhone, iRiver, PSP, BlackBerry, Creative Zen, GPhone, Mobile Phone, Palm, Archos etc to a happy enjoy on the go or upload the videos to video sharing websites for sharing with more people.

Besides, if you are unsatisfied with the quality and size of the Limewire files, no problem, just import them to commonly used video editors, there are many available like Windows Movie Maker, Sony Vegas, iMovie, Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro etc.

Just by a few converting steps with our powerful Limewire video converter, you can make the most of your Limewire files in your own way.

Part III: Limewire video converter, make full use of your Limewire files

Limewire video converter is by far the first versatile video tool for dealing with Limewire files including video and audio. It can not only convert your downloaded Limewire files to almost all popular video files like AVI, WMV, MPG, MP4, MKV, VOB, MOV, DV, FLV, ASF, SWF, 3GP, RM, but also to commonly used audio files MP3, AC3, AAC, AIFF, AMR, FLAC, WAV, WMA etc without audio and video quality loss.

By converting Limewire videos to popular video and audio files, you are free to play your Limewire videos on popular video players like MPlayer, VLCPlayer, RealPlayer, Windows Media Player, QuickTime, put on various portable devices such as iPod, iPhone, iRiver, PSP, BlackBerry, Creative Zen, Gphone, Mobile Phone, upload to video sharing websites, or edit in commonly used video editing tools like Windows Movie Maker, Sony Vegas, iMovie, Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere Pro etc.

Limewire video converter is also an excellent video editing program for your free editing. For example, you can cut the video to a certain length to convert by Trim, crop off unwanted parts from the video clips, adjust video Brightness, Contrast and Saturation by Effect or you can also tweak the output parameters by Settings. Besides, the video merging, video splitting, batch process mode and snapshot are also waiting for you. Just go ahead to try to learn more. Start you wonderful trip with Limewire video converter.

Your Eye Surgery Report - Is LASIK Right for You?

Brought to you courtesy of FramesDirect.com and provided FREE of charge.

LASIK - stands for Laser in-Situ Keratomileusis

The Ideal Candidate

In general, the ideal candidate for LASIK is over 18 years of age and has healthy corneas. Candidates must not have had a significant increase in their prescription in the last 12 months. People with certain medical conditions or women who are pregnant may not be good candidates for LASIK

Realistic Expectations

The decision to have LASIK is an important one that ultimately, only you can make. It is important that you have realistic expectations and that your decision is based on facts, not hopes or misconceptions. The goal of LASIK is to reduce your dependence on corrective lenses. LASIK does not always create 20/20 or even 20/40 vision. It cannot correct a condition known as presbyopia, or aging of the eye which normally occurs around age 40 and which requires the use of reading glasses. In fact, people over 40 who have their distance vision improved may find they need reading glasses after the procedure.

What Are The Outcomes of LASIK?

Long term data as well as our recent findings reveal very positive results. LASIK has proven very effective in correcting a broad range of myopia, astigmatism and hyperopia. It has been reported that 92% of patients were corrected to 20/40 or better, and 88% were 20/20 for mild myopia. For moderate and high myopia, 92% were still correctable to 20/40 or better, of which 39% were correctable to 20/20. Results with excimer laser have been consistent with these reports.

The procedure is designed to reduce nearsightedness, astigmatism and farsightedness but it cannot stop the aging process and almost all participants will, in all likelihood, need reading glasses as they age.

What Are The Risks?

As with any surgical procedure, complications may occur. These are very rare. However, they may include:

1. Improper Correction: The desired correction may not be achieved, or astigmatism may be induced.

2. Decrease in Best Corrected Visual Acuity: This is the best vision you can achieve with glasses or contact lenses.

3. Glare: In the first few months you may experience problems with glare at night.

4. Halos: You may experience halos or hazy rings around bright lights at night.

6. Corneal Scaring: This is extremely rare. A corneal scar may block your vision.

7. Dislocated Corneal Cap: This may have to be sutured or even replaced resulting in a slower recovery of best corrected vision. This is extremely rare.

8. Epithelial Ingrowth: During the healing process some surface cells may migrate under the hinged flap. Often times this requires no attention; however, in some instances they must be removed.

What Are The Benefits Of LASIK?

1. Reduction of large amounts of nearsightedness and astigmatism and farsightedness. Immediate restoration of uncorrected vision.

2. Minimal (usually less than 24 hours) visual recovery time.

3. Permancy of correction. Once the refractive error has been corrected the result is stable.

4. Ability to engage in outdoor activities in which corrective lenses may be cumbersome or restrictive.

5. Elimination of the time, expense and effort involved in maintaining and updating contact lenses.

It's not for everyone, but when it works, it's great. Talk it over with your eyecare professional. Good luck.

FramesDirect.com
http://www.framesDirect.com
Better Vision Team

Top Computer Service & Repair in the Atlanta area

Are you fighting with your PC? Here is a Top 10 of Computer Service & Repair in the Atlanta, GA area. This list was compiled by grayboxx.com and ordered by how frequently the Computer Service & Repair's information is kept in people's digital address books. The Computer Service & Repair that are used more frequently are stored more frequently. The #1 Computer Service & Repair on this list has been stored the most amount of times by Atlanta residents. Generally, people only store a business' information in their address books if they are satisfied with the provider's service and wish to engage in repeat business.





Below given are the 10 Most Popular Atlanta Computer Service & Repair (according to grayboxx.com)





1. All Covered (1522 people stored this Computer Service & Repair in their digital address books, according to grayboxx.com) (770) 455-4350 5595 Peachtree Rd - Atlanta, GA 30341





2. Richards Computer (483) (770) 395-9299 7878 Roswell Rd Ste K - Atlanta, GA 30350 www.richardscomputer.com





3. Computer Exchange Limited (283) (770) 806-3939 3105 Sweetwater Rd Ste 100 - Lawrenceville, GA 30044





4. S & A Computer Services Incorporated (150) (770) 569-2828 3000 Northfield Pl - Roswell, GA 30076





5. Martech (143) (770) 418-0101 5235 Cottage Farm Rd - Alpharetta, GA 30022





6. Cherry Systems Data Recovery (135) (770) 955-2395 2270 Northwest Pkwy SE - Marietta, GA 30067 www.cherrysystems.com





7. Servit (126) (770) 794-0219 300 Townpark Dr NW - Kennesaw, GA 30144





8. R & D Computers (117) (770) 416-0103 6767 Peachtree Industrial Blvd - Norcross, GA 30092





9. Affiliated Computer Services Incorporated (111) (770) 901-5002 365 Northridge Rd - Atlanta, GA 30350





10. Computrend (107) (770) 734-9220 3105 Gateway Dr - Norcross, GA 30071





Nowadays, most people have their own Computers for their personal or official needs. But they don't know how to tame their Computers. They are struggling with installing, firewalls, upgradings and a lot more problems. They don't know what to do and where to start from. If you are one among them, this list will help you to find your best provider for your Atlanta area. For more business rankings in the Atlanta area (or elsewhere), visit grayboxx.com.




Zander Smith


grayboxx - Intelligent Local Search

MacBook Pro User Guide

1) First steps



(a) Unpacking



Remove your Mac Book Pro

from the box and place it on a firm surface near an electric socket. In the box, you should also have





an 85W MagSafe Power Adaptor

a power cord

a DVI to VGA adaptor



(b) Charging



Strip the plastic film from the 85W MagSafe Power Adaptor. Ensure the plug sits properly in the Power Adaptor and place it in the electric socket. Take the other end of the Power Adaptor lead and connect it to the magnetic MagSafe power port on the left-hand side of your MacBook Pro.



If the Power Adaptor lead won't stretch to your nearest electric socket, remove the plug from the adaptor by pulling it up. Beneath the plug is a socket. Insert one end of the power cord into the adaptor socket and the other into the electric socket.



Please note: always disconnect your MacBook Pro from the electricity by pulling the plugs and not the leads.



An amber light on the MagSafe connector at the power port tells you the MacBook Pro battery is charging. When a green light appears, the battery is fully charged. If no light appears, check the connections and make sure you've switched on the electric socket.



(c) Basic features



When you open your MacBook Pro, you'll find





an iSight camera and camera indicator light at the top of the screen

stereo speakers either side of the keyboard

a power button on the right of the keyboard

a microphone to the left of the keyboard

a trackpad and a trackpad button



From left to right along the front edge of the MacBook Pro are



an infrared (IR) receiver

a sleep mode indicator light

a display release button

a slot-loading SuperDrive



From left to right on the left-hand side of your MacBook Pro are



a MagSafe power port

one USB 2.0 port (15 inch model); two USB 2.0 ports (17 inch model)

an audio line in/optical digital audio in port

a headphone out/optical digital audio out port

an ExpressCard/34 slot





From left to right on the right-hand side of your MacBook Pro are



a security slot for a cable and lock

a USB 2.0 port

a FireWire 400 port

a FireWire 800 port

a Gigabit Ethernet port (10/100/1000Base-T)

a DVI port



Underneath your MacBook Pro is the battery. The battery has a row of indicator lights and a button.





2) Initial set-up



(a) Setup Assistant



Switch on your MacBook Pro by pressing the power button. Setup Assistant will come up on the screen.



Setup Assistant takes you through the process of establishing your user account and your email and Internet details. If you have another Mac and want to carry files and applications from it to your MacBook Pro, Setup Assistant will show you how. If you want to transfer such information at a later date, use Migration Assistant instead.



Select the Applications folder

Open Utilities

Double-click Migration Assistant



If you have another Mac you don't intend to use in the future, and you've bought music, audiobooks, films or TV shows with iTunes, de-authorise the computer. For more details, go to the iTunes Help menu and select iTunes Help.



(b) Internet connection



You can connect wirelessly to the Internet using your MacBook Pro's built-in AirPort Extreme facility. For more information



go to the Menu Bar

select Help>Mac Help

search for "AirPort"



Alternatively, connect an Ethernet cable to the port on the right-hand side of your MacBook Pro. Place the other end in a cable modem, DSL modem or network.



For a dial-up Internet connection



buy an external Apple USB Modem

place it in one of your MacBook Pro's USB ports

connect a phone lead from a phone jack to the modem





(c) Sleep mode



Use the sleep mode on your MacBook Pro if you stop work for a short period. To start the sleep mode, you have the following choices:



select Apple>Sleep on the Menu Bar

close the screen

press the power button and select sleep in the dialogue box

select Apple>System Preferences; choose Energy Saver; set the timer



Please note: don't move your MacBook Pro until the sleep indicator light on the front edge comes on. This tells you the hard disc has stopped. If you move the MacBook Pro with the disc still spinning, you can damage the disc and lose data.



To wake your MacBook Pro from sleep mode:



open the screen if you closed it, or

if the screen is open, press any key or the power button





(d) Shut down



If you've finished work on your MacBook Pro for the day, shut it down by either



selecting Apple>Shut Down on the Menu Bar, or

pressing the power button and selecting Shut Down in the dialogue box





3) Using the trackpad



With the trackpad, you can:



scroll

Click

double-click

drag

move the pointer



To control the distance you send the pointer across the screen, adjust the speed of your finger on the trackpad:



Move your finger slowly to send the pointer a short distance

Move your finger fast to send the pointer further



Other features of the trackpad include the following:



Two finger scrolling. Scroll in any direction by making the same movements with two fingers on the trackpad.

Secondary or right clicking. Use shortcut menu commands by placing two fingers on the trackpad and clicking the trackpad button.



Some trackpad features apply to certain applications:



Two finger rotating. By rotating two fingers on the trackpad, you can turn images and text.

Two finger pinching. By pinching together and pushing apart two fingers on the trackpad, you can zoom in or out.

Three finger swiping. Flick through a series of images or the pages of a document by swiping three fingers on the trackpad.



If you want to fine-tune and set trackpad options



select Apple>System Preferences

click Keyboard & Mouse

click Trackpad





For more information



select Help>Mac Help

click Trackpad





4) Quick Mac OS X guide



(a) Introduction



Your MacBook Pro has the Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard operating system. This controls your applications, files and peripheral devices, and works in a similar fashion to Windows.



(b) The basics



Your basic controls are the keyboard and trackpad. Windows users find they have to use the keyboard and trackpad fewer times on the MacBook Pro to achieve comparable results.



(c) Main features



To help you manage and navigate everything successfully on your MacBook Pro, there are four main features:



Desktop

Dock

Finder

Menu bar



Desktop



Desktop is your starting point each time you use your MacBook Pro. It stores items such as files and images.



The first icon you'll come across on Desktop is the Macintosh HD (hard drive). Other icons appear when you use the various functions of your MacBook Pro. To view an icon's files and applications, double-click it.



Also note that



if you connect a device to your MacBook Pro, an icon appears on the Desktop

if you allow other users on your MacBook Pro, each one can have a Desktop

when you run applications, Desktop always lies behind them



Dock



The Dock is a row of icons lying at the bottom of your MacBook Pro screen. Click on an icon to reach the files and applications it contains.



When a window appears on the screen, it has three buttons in the top left corner.



The red button closes the window

The yellow button minimises the window to the Dock

The green button maximises and minimises the window's size



Finder



The icon on the far left of the Dock is the Finder. Use the Finder to navigate and manage your MacBook Pro's files and applications.



Menu Bar

The Menu Bar is a line at the top of the MacBook Pro's screen.



With the Menu Bar, you can



see recent work

view and adjust settings and applications

end applications

interact with a programme

log in and out

put the MacBook Pro into sleep mode

begin restart

switch off your MacBook Pro





Customising desktop



To customise Desktop, select the System Preferences icon in the Dock or Apple>System Preferences on the Menu Bar. For more details of what you can do, select Mac Help and search for System Preferences or for the item you want to change.





5) Connectivity



Your MacBook Pro has a comprehensive range of ports for printers, phones, iPods, cameras, joysticks, hard drives and so on. As well as USB 2.0 ports, you have a FireWire 400 and a FireWire 800. These are ideal for connecting high speed devices such as video cameras.



The DVI port allows you to connect a monitor, TV or projector. If you have a VGA device, then simply use the supplied DVI/VGA adaptor.



Use the audio line in/optical digital audio in port to connect digital audio equipment or a microphone. Use the headphone out/optical digital audio out port for audio equipment, headphones or speakers.



The ExpressCard/34 slot accepts all standard 34mm ExpressCards. Please note that when you want to remove a card, push it gently first.





6) Battery



When you use the MacBook Pro without the MagSafe Power Adaptor, the time you can run the computer depends on your applications and the peripheral devices that are draining the battery's power. You can save battery energy by removing unnecessary devices and by switching off your AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth® features when you're not using them.



Press the button on the battery to check the energy level. The lights at the side of the button tell you how much charge you have left, if any. You can also inspect the battery level by simply checking the battery status icon in the Menu Bar.



The battery can be charged at any time. You'll find you can charge it more quickly, however, when your MacBook Pro is in sleep mode or switched off.



If you want to replace a failing battery with a full charged one, always shut down your MacBook Pro first.





Mac computers

Why Most Independent Artist Fail!

This is a question that I am most commonly asked. The answer is pretty simple – most independent artist do not understand that concept of marketing let alone online marketing.

Obviously I can not cover an entire marketing course in this article but I can however give you a few facts that will put you on the right road.

The first thing that you MUST do is learn to put yourself in the shoes of your target audience or in this case your fans. That is a lot easier said than done. Without a fan base you do not have a music career.

As a independent artist it is crucial that you own your own domain name. If you have MySpace as your primary internet presence you are making a huge mistake. Now before you go on a rant allow me to explain.

If you are using MySpace as your Internet presence you are placing your entire career in the hands of another company. Lets say that you have spent your time and effort in promoting your MySpace page and everyone knows that is where they can find you. You wake up tomorrow to realize that MySpace has decided to shut down while the getting is good. Where does that put you? I’ll tell you where back at square one!

No I’m not suggesting that you forget about MySpace I’m just telling you it is a bad idea to have MySpace as your primary website.

MySpace should be used to drive traffic back to your domain, where you have control over your destiny.

Another common mistake that I see independent artist doing is they fail to invest in the business aspect of their careers. No I am going to guess that when you just read that last sentence you probably said to yourself, “I do invest into my career.” If you do not have at least one Internet Marketing book or eBook you my friend are on the wrong track.

I can pretty much bet that you have your webpage set up all wrong.

Nine out of ten independent artist’s websites are what I like to call, “look at me websites.” The harsh reality of it all is nobody knows you! When a potential fan comes to your site they have one thing on their mind and one thing only, and that is WIIFM! That stands for “What’s In It For Me!” They want to know what do you have to offer them – why should they come to your website over the million other independent artist? This is were your marketing strategies come into play!

I know this is going to sound a little crazy but lets role play for a few minutes. Let’s say that you are a country music fan (the genre doesn’t matter) and you go to a website and a video pops with a young lady on it and she says, “I just want to thank all of my fans, for showing up at my last concert, and I appreciate your supportÂ… In fact I have two free tracks that I just posted for you onlineÂ… Let me show you where to go download them now.” POW the video ends and you are automatically taken to a special download area exclusively for the fans!

How do you think that would make a fan feel? Do you think that someone would actually go and download the special fan tracks – located is an exclusive area… Your dog on right they will.

I hope that this article sparked that marketing genius that dwells deep inside of all of us. I wish you the best of luck with your music career and I hope that I have the opportunity to do a personal interview with you real soon.

Tim Beachum – Owner of the http://MusicBizCoach.com, http://MusicBusinessInaBox.com, http://Jackin4Beats.com, and author of the audio CD “The Ultimate Guide To Self-Promotion”. You can contact Mr. Beachum via email at: timb@musicbizcoach.com.=

House Design for a Hot Climate

When building in a hot climate, there are certain housing designs that can create a more comfortable atmosphere while still reducing your cooling costs. While it may not be possible to site your house to take advantage of the prevailing breezes if it is on a small block, you can still place windows in it to create a good cross draught for the evenings. So find out where the best breeze comes from and make sure it can blow through the home via large windows.

West and east sides of the home need to have either smaller windows, or be shaded outside by trees and shrubs, eaves or canvas awnings. If the trees are deciduous, then you'll still get the benefit of warm sun in the winter. Since west is the hottest, building your carport on this side is best for added insulation.

If the home is south of the equator, then north will let in the best light and sun in the winter. In the summer the sun is higher, so won't shine through those larger northern windows. In all cases, having a pale-coloured roof and walls will help to reflect the heat. Exhaust fans mounted in the roof will help to ferry away the hot air that rises and if you have plenty of windows, cooler night air can enter.

The right house design goes a long way in ensuring that you have a comfortable home to adapt to the local climate. Your new home builders should be able to provide several designs for you to choose from.

Video Source: Youtube

How to speed up your PC.

There are a number of ways in which your PC can slow down to crawl, which can be infuriating. Over time as you install legitimate pieces of software, your PC has to run an ever increasing number of background process. These are designed to make your life easier by allowing, say a photo program to open when you connect your digital camera. They do however use up your computers resources each uses a little bit of memory, too many of these running in the background and your PC may not have enough free capacity to do even the simplest of things.

By simply turning off alot of those non essential programs when you start up your PC things will run a lot quicker. If the process is not a system process it is likely to be one of the really useful background processes that slows everything down. The other advantage for laptop users, when running on battery, is this can extend the battery run time as the harddrive is doing less work thus taking less power from the battery.

The Windows Registry is the place on your PC where Windows stores information it might need to retrieve later, for example when you open an application or change a system setting the new settings are stored in the registry. The registry contains profiles for each user, details for each application installed on the computer and the types of documents they create, what hardware exists on the system, and the ports being used. A lot of detailed information is stored in registry if some of this information gets corrupted or contains errors then this can slow your PC down.

There are many causes of registry errors, incorrect installation and uninstallation of applications, file downloads, frequent changes in system and network configurations, and almost all other tasks you perform daily on your computer. Many people install so many programs and software on their computers that they are bound to cause conflicts. There are tools available that not only enable you to find registry errors, but also help you repair them. Making your PC run like new again.

Spyware, adware, & Malware are probably the number 1 reason for your computer slowing down. These are software gremlins that can really slow your computer down - not to mention leaving it open to all sorts of other security attacks. Running an antispyware program and removing a lot of these software nasties will speed your PC up and keep your personal data a lot safer.

If you PC is running slow there is a lot that can be done before having to reach for your wallet and buying a new one.



Find out more about detecting spyware and find free ways to remove spyware at http://www.detectingspyware.org.uk

Simple Tips To Stay Away From Particular Computer Registry Cleaner Software Features

Computer system registry cleaner software is without a doubt an essential tool for the modern-day computer end user to continue to keep his or her home computer system operating smoothly and efficiently. Thankfully, you'll find a lot of different computer system registry cleaner software available on the web for you to purchase and use. Sadly, not all registry cleaner software is actually good quality. While some are usually superb, many others cut corners, gouge your wallet, or may be actually Trojan Horses or malicious software. How will you, the standard non-techie home computer user, find out what to stay clear of? This article will answer that question.

The very first point to look out for is software containing spyware, adware, or other malicious computer software. Many pc registry cleaner software programs out there on the web, primarily the no cost kinds, could be really spy ware in disguise. When you install the actual software (which may or may not even work), it simultaneously secretly installs harmful spy ware that might take your identity or wreck your computer.

In order to prevent this, do some research on the software program before you do the installation. In the event that the software program you're considering using seems to have a history of being related to spy ware or ad ware, then don't use it. It could do a great deal more harm than good.

The next thing to study and avoid whenever looking is software that gives you false positives. A false positive is when pc registry cleaner software identifies ordinary registry entries as problems needing to be cleanered or even removed. This is basically a cheap trick to actually inflate their statistics, which will make their program report finding significantly more computer system registry errors than there really are. This helps make their particular software appear much more exhaustive and effective when compared to their competition. The fact is, it does not help your pc by any means, and in some cases may actually damage it. It may unintentionally erase computer system registry items that the computer must have to function.

Before buying pc registry cleaner software, seek out customer assessments of the particular registry tool. In particular, seek out reviews done by experienced industry experts, rather than amateur reviewers offering mainly uninformed individual views. If, whenever professional examined, that software has reported a very high amount of false positives, in that case avoid it and look for totally different software.

Another item to look out for is software programs that will require you to carry out manual scanning. Personal computer registry cleaner software only functions best in the event you put it to use frequently. Any time you will have to operate your software program by hand, it's easy to overlook for months at a time. The good news is, it's really easy these days for software to come with a built-in scheduler.

Built-in schedulers will on auto-pilot scan your computer as frequently as you want at a time of your own choosing (for instance during the night time when you are not operating your computer system). These days, there is basically no reason for pc registry cleaner software to be without any kind of automated scheduler, and many do. The few that do not, suffice to say, should certainly be avoided.

This ought to present you with some basic ideas of just what to watch out for and things to stay clear of in computer registry cleaner software. When you purchase registry cleaner software that has a good reputation as well as automated scheduled scanning, you will be pretty sure that your personal computer registry is being correctly looked after.

Simple Guide to Laptop Reboot Problems

Many experience the annoying problem of laptop computers rebooting for no reason. Not only is this a real irritant, it can also cause problems with loss of data as this happens in the middle of some work being performed. This reboot issue can occur only once, which can happen for many reasons and that is okay, but if it continues to be an on going problem then it needs to be addressed right away.



Laptops have built-in circuitry that monitors the state of the internal environment. A reboot issue usually has to do with the power supply levels. Most do not think about the power supply, or think that it will ever fail, but they can fail quite often, and it is a fairly common problem facing computer users overall.



The power supply communicates with the motherboard and must be compatible with the outlet. If the power level is not correct then the computer will not start. This seems like a simple problem, but things are not always as they seem when dealing with computers. When a power supply is going out or being depleted the power can fluctuate. This can create boot problems and the laptop can come off and on without any reason. Reset logic is what causes the computer to shut the machine down so it relieves the load on the failing power supply. So, instead of the user pressing the reset button, the laptop or PC does it itself. While these maybe random occurrences, eventually your computer may not come on at all.



To test the power output, you should have a multimeter, and be knowledgeable on how to use it correctly. Hiring a reliable computer technician maybe a good idea, as these types of issues are not for novices. You can do a simple test and switch the power supply to one that you know works, and if it that fixes the issue then you know that it was the power supply, and if not then further investigation will be required.



A regular self-reboot problem could be associated with several other issues as well. It could be a hardware problem, especially if it occurs randomly. Other causes of laptops rebooting on their own can be a broken CPU fan that will cause the computer to heat up and turn itself off for safety, motherboard problems, memory expansion boards, cable issues, and socketed chips. Another issue, which is hard to diagnose, is a possibly cracked motherboard.



Overall laptop tech issues can be frustrating to users. With a little knowledge most problems can be resolved easily while other require a knowledgeable professional to diagnose and fix the problem. It's a good idea to do some research first to see if you can save the expense of hiring a technician, this is much cheaper and can possibly resolve the problem, but not all problems with reboot can be done at home and then the knowledge of a professional computer repair person can really make a difference.



Browse all brands and models of laptops, notebooks and accessories at the cheapest prices at Laptop Auction, make sure to check out the Apple laptops discount prices and find out what features are necessary for the best laptop for gaming.

Post My Resume Online - Tips on Posting a Resume

When you start looking for a job, the first thing that must cross your mind is definitely the question of where you should post your resume. Most of the time people who are freshly applying for jobs may have this odd problem of being absolutely unsure as to how to go about this business of applying. Once you have your resume ready you must be prepared to send it around and the best way to do that is to do it online. Here is what you do.

Firstly make a cover letter to your resume and ensure that you are applying to an industry where your CV is bound to get noticed. If you are unsure of where to post your CV then you should try googling “post my resume online” and check out the relevant results. This may be tedious but it’s the best way if you want to do it yourself and yet have no clue as to how to go about the job.

The next thing you may want to do is get together your details and have your resume posted on websites that offer to post your resume to all the jobsites. This will help you reach across to several employers at once and leave your chances of landing a job in a better position. By posting your resume on a website like resumeboomer.com, you make it easier for employers looking across different jobsites to come across your resume and moreover you don’t need to post your resume individually on all these sites.

Another option you do have at hand is to go and search for jobs on your own on these jobsites and then apply to them individually. While this is a tedious process and your chances of getting a call from such a situation is low unless you have a very strong resume, this is a way by which you can apply for exactly the type of job you want rather than something that does not meet your preferred job profile or maybe location. This is also a way of applying to specific strata of employer as in companies if you are unwilling to work in comparatively lesser named companies about which you may have no or hardly any idea about.

When you are someone new to the idea of posting your resume, you may end up spending a lot of time looking at your screen trying to decide what to do and how to go about it. In today’s world, you must take advantage of all the online services that you have at your disposal in order to get a job done and looking for a job is no different. The idea of resume blasting through a website like resumeboomer.com is a very good idea considering that you need to get noticed in order to get called. So don’t spend the whole day staring at the “Post my resume” button, go ahead and post it and see your world change. A few clicks and you are on your way in the right direction.

Types of Computer Hardware

Computer hardware is a physical part of a computer that executes within the hardware. It is unlike computer software or data that can be frequently changed, modified or erased on a computer. Computer hardware is not frequently changed and so is stored in hardware devices such as read only memory (ROM) where it is not readily changed.





Most computer hardware is embedded and so is not visible to normal users. Below are the different types of hardware's found in a computer.





 Motherboard: It is the central or primary circuit board making up a complex electronic system such as a computer. A motherboard is also known as a main board, logic board or system board.

 Central processing Unit: A CPU is the main component of a digital computer that interprets instructions and process data in computer programs.

 Random Access Memory: A RAM allows the stored data to be accessed in any order. RAM is considered as the main memory of the computer where the working area is used for displaying and manipulating data.

 Basic Input Output System: BIOS prepares the software programs to load, execute and control the computer.

 Power Supply: Power Supply supplies electrical energy to an output load or group of loads.

 Video Display Controller: It converts the logical representation of visual information into a signal that can be used as input for a display medium.

 Computer Bus: It is used to transfer data or power between computer components inside a computer or between computers.

 CD-ROM drive: It contains data accessible by a computer

 Floppy disk: It is a data storage device

 Zip Drive: It is a medium capacity removable disk storage system.

 Hard Disk: It is a non-volatile data storage system that stores data on a magnetic surface layered unto hard disk platters.

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Peer-to-Peer network operating system

Peer-to-peer network OS is an operating system that allows users to share and access resources found on the network and the ones located in other computers connected with the network. In a peer-to-peer network, all the computers have equal access to resources. Peer-to-peer networks are used in small and medium LANs. Some of the popular peer-to-peer NOS are Windows98, Windows 95, Windows for Workgroups, NetWare Lite, AppleShare, and Artisoft LANtastic.

Development of peer-to-peer network- The use of peer-to-peer network started in the early 1980s. The PCs were stand-alone computers with built-in hard drives and CPUs. Sharing of files or applications had to be physically carried from one computer to the other. This means a PC would be dedicated to the printer and to take out a print, one has to physically carry the document to be printed, to the PC that is connected to the printer. This is called the development of peer-to-peer network.

A peer-to-peer network uses a client-server setup. Network hardware and software needs to be installed on all PCs to be connected to the network. The network can be wireless with small workgroups of a maximum 16 PCs. The PCs can be disconnected when not required. In this system, there is no dedicated operating system, the PCs are workstations equipped with operating system that helps to share, store resources with each other. The OS functions are relatively small when compared to the networks with servers. However, some of the basic features include network printing and sharing of files.

A peer-to-peer operating system allows individual users to define, which drives can be shared. The work group cannot access those not defined by the user as sharable resources. The defined drive that is configured as sharable will appear as a separate drive to the group.

Benefits:
It is least expensive to setup a peer-to-peer network. Any one can get linked to it with minimal expense. No dedicated server is required. Since, the system already has an operating system, converting it to a dedicated peer-to-peer operating system requires reconfiguration only. No network administrator is required to manage the network group and is easy to setup. Unlike the client-server system, the peer-to-peer system is decentralized, which means any PC attached to the system acts both as a client and as a server.

Disadvantages:
There is no central server dedicated to the network. This means there is no repository option for storing files and applications. There is no dedicated security system similar to the client/server network system. Another main disadvantage is that peer-to-peer network is not capable of functioning like client-server network. The amount of data flow is much less than the client-server network, but those PCs connected to the network can share and store resources.

For further information or assistance in this regards, please visit savemysystem.co.uk/computer-repair. We provide best and latest news on different types of operating systems. You will get sufficient data on our site, regarding up to date updates on different operating systems. For more details, do visit our website.

Save My System is alondon computer support service. that also provides windows 7 support

Creating And Promoting Your News Letter

THE CREATION

If you haven't got around to starting a news letter, I will Let you know it's easier than you think! I will start on the pretence that you have already established your website. That means you already have a topic of conversation. It doesn't matter if you are doing a site on multilevel marketing, or religion, or stories that inspire, you will want to keep your news letter based on that topic.

There are a few different methods to starting your news letter. I will cover two of them.

One option you have is to use outlook express to manage your news letter. You can even use it to create HTML style news letters Like the big sites do.

Here's the steps to do that:

1. Click on create mail
2. Click on view
3. Click on source edit
4. Notice that three tabs show at the bottom. Click on source
5. You can now modify the code however you want (if you don't know html click: http://www.freeandfrugal.com/ebooks.html)

Just a tip --
Link to graphics through your website, if you link them to your computer they may not show in all email boxes.

The second option is a more professional aproach, you can get a script for your website that works great. You will need to be able to run your own cgi scripts on your server to take advantage of this offer. This is a great script that I have used my self and dont have one complaint yet. Click the following link to get this script for your site:
http://www.dtp-aus.com/cgiscript/allcgi.shtml

Once your news letter gets large enough you will want, and most likely need, to use this option. The best thing about using this script is that your subscribers are automatically added with the sister script and unsubscribed by either the sister script or the script I am suggesting. Both save you time and money, as they are free.

All that is left for you to do is come up with content for your news letter, even if it's something as simple as site updates.

Promotion

You will want to promote your news letter because you will find that just a simple link or banner that says subscribe isn't good enough. You may want to use a popup or a pop under window letting people know about you news letter. You can use the pop up upon visitors entering or exiting your website. I suggest using the pop under as it is far less intrusive.

A great place to generate this code for free is: http://willmaster.com/possibilities/members. You will only have to sign up for the weekly news letter. For all the great free tools and you can use for having a free membership, it will be well worth it!

Offer an incentive to subcribe to your news letter or ezine, like a free E Book, free membership, or maybe a chance to win a prize. Your subscription rate will double!

Another far more effective way of promoting your news letter is through a subscription service. You can learn how to build your subscriber news letter base. quickly, easily, and inexpensively with valid, 100% double opt-in subscribers guaranteed! You can choose from the number of subscribers you would like to have every month so you wont have to break the bank. You won't have to waste your time with worry about the hassle and aggravation of having to track your results -- you only pay for what they deliver! Click now to learn how:
http://www.freeandfrugal.com/cgi-bin/to.cgi?l=listopt

This is most likely one of the best methods of paid advertising online. These are your guaranteed return visitors. You want to keep your subscribers so don't bombard them with emails or you will lose them. Daily and a couple of times a day are to much! Let them know how often they will hear from you so that you are not loosing them. This mostly is directed at those of you who want to email your subscribers more than once a week.

MySpace, Facebook, GPS and other e-Discovery: Coming Soon to a Texas Divorce Proceeding Near You

Like many marriages that end in divorce in Texas, the dissolution of the union between Sarah and Mike Brown (names have been changed to protect the innocent) was not done under the most cordial of circumstances. The Browns were married for seventeen years, owned an enviable home outside of Dallas, Texas, and were the proud parents of three school-aged children. Mike had been growing noticeably more distant over the past couple of years and the ideal life they presented in public was a much different reality behind closed doors. Sarah had a strong suspicion that her husband was having an affair and, being adept at searching her way through the newest pieces of technology, decided to check out Mike’s personal computer when he was out of town on business. What Sarah Brown found on her husband’s computer hard drive was enough to make her call a divorce lawyer the next morning, and begin an emotional trial that tested the boundaries of the always-evolving legal world of electronic discovery.

Damaging discovery that an attorney can use against an opposing spouse party in a divorce action or child custody proceeding is no longer limited to a trace of lipstick left on a white-shirt collar or a mysterious credit card bill found during a quick rummage through a briefcase. Today, sophisticated Texas divorce lawyers are more likely to present evidence that comes from cell phone records, Facebook comments, MySpace pages, deleted e-mails, and visits to web sites that were not quite as hidden as planned.

If divorce clients make the mistake of engaging in behavior that is not conducive to a happy marriage, do not think that they are safe from exposure even while driving in their cars. Texas divorce attorneys will tell you that even E-Z Pass toll records can be subpoenaed to prove that they were heading somewhere they had no business being. In addition, a suspicious spouse can attach a Global Positioning System (GPS) device to the family car and later use these recorded routes against your client in court. These days, the notion that every moment of one’s life is for the public eye does not just apply to celebrities and public figures. However, the attorney needs to be sure that the evidence collected is done in a way that does not violate Federal or State privacy laws. What is the point of collecting every condemning email or text message if a Federal or Texas State judge decides the documents are inadmissible in court? Does it matter if the proof of an affair was found on a work computer, a personal laptop, PDA, or a family computer that also is used by the teenage residents for history homework?

There is the dangerous misconception that activities, which take place online, are somehow harmless or at least not as consequential as the same decisions made in real-life. Flirting with a woman on the computer is not the same as chatting with her in a bar, right? With that said, you should be aware that social networking sites are taking steps to make sure that their content is accessible in legal situations. Have you read the fine print before typing a comment to your “friend” on MySpace? This web site and others like it state that, if legal standards are met, user information can be passed on to law enforcement agencies and legal teams involved in divorces.

Family law attorneys who are fighting a child custody battle also scour the internet looking for possible electronic discovery. All that a lawyer needs to find is a few photos of a minor child smoking pot or drinking alcohol posted on a web site and charges of being an unfit parent can be substantiated. Let the words of Dallas family attorney Mary Jo McCurley serve as a warning, “For a lawyer, it's almost like a 'ha' moment. It's kind of fun when you see something that you can use as evidence [against] the opposing party.” Online activities are just as serious as those in the “real world” and, to the absolute delight of opposing legal counsel, electronic behavior is recorded and never, ever goes away.

Lawmakers and courts at all levels of state and federal government have been scrambling to keep up with the ever-increasing series of questions that new technology brings. What evidence can and should be admissible in court? In what form or predicate should the attorney present the evidence? When is the line protecting the right to privacy crossed? Through amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure on December 1, 2006, Congress enacted the primary guidelines used to answer such questions and others on the federal level. Through Rule 34(a), Congress added electronically stored information (ESI) as a category of discoverable information. To ensure that this amendment maintained its relevance as new technologies are invented, ESI was defined to be “writings, drawings, graphs, charts, photographs, sound recordings, images, and other data or data compilations stored in any medium from which information can be obtained.” By purposefully using the language, “in any medium,” in the future, the federal courts can require data from technology not even invented yet. If you have had any difficulty keeping up with the new electronic devices that have come on the market in just the last five years (how many versions of the iPhone and Blackberry are there now?), you can understand why the federal lawmakers left such a wide open door.

The corresponding Federal Rule 34(b) measure, passed at the same time as Federal Rule 34(a), allows the requesting party to determine the form in which evidence is presented. Maybe a paper printout is enough to meet your goals in a particular instance. In other circumstances, you may decide that the electronic version must be produced in order to include all background and transmission information. Often times, the full electronic record will be the preferred choice of attorneys and clients alike as a hard copy will not tell the complete story behind a piece of evidence. Only with the information that is stored on a computer or other electronic device will you be able to extract the time at which a particular transaction occurred, any information deleted from the current text, or possibly the date and time at which an online correspondence occurred.

In 2006, Texas was the first state in the country to amend its rules of procedure concerning electronic discovery, and one of only a few states to do so before the federal government made its changes. With this foresight in establishing some guidelines prior to the procedure set by the federal government, Texas has been able to create a different level of responsibility for evidence than what was determined by federal legislation three years ago. Ten years ago, in 1999, our state wrote the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure (TRCP) 196.4, which referred exclusively to electronic or magnetic data. This state law requires that the interested party must specifically request each type of electronic data and specify the form in which the interested party wants the data produced. The responding party may state that the request for retrieval of particular data or information itself is not reasonable, or at least object to the form in which its presentation is requested. If a Texas court orders that the electronic discovery must be made available, the requesting party is responsible for paying the costs to have the information prepared. This detail, known as the “mandatory cost shifting position” is an important legal point for both clients and their attorneys to know. With Rule196.4 at their disposal, opposing counsel will work to prove the requests to be unreasonable and you will be stuck with the cost of production. The director of the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, Rebecca Love Kourlis, has noted that before the prevalence of e-Discovery, five percent of divorce cases actually went to trial. That number has fallen to two percent, mostly because the plaintiff fears the costs that would be associated with gathering e-Discovery evidence.

If you are a family law attorney who is assisting a client through emotional and difficult legal circumstances, I encourage you to be as creative as possible when determining possible requests for electronic discovery. The most effective and proactive participants in divorce proceedings will test the boundaries in this still-uncertain area of law. Some divorce lawyers have even hired investigators with digital forensic tools to do some electronic snooping for their clients. Chances are, if the suspicion is strong, the electronic evidence will be found. As Gateano Ferro, president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, shared in an interview, “In just about every case now, to some extent, there is some electronic evidence. It has completely changed our (legal) field.” Just ask former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick how damaging a flirtatious chat on a Blackberry can be to one’s marriage and professional standing. All financial records certainly should be on the table— items as small as romantic dinners and payment for hotel rooms to a larger issue like entire accounts that were kept secret may have relevance in establishing a divorce settlement. You should request every text message ever sent on a cell phone. If or until the courts decide that messages sent to an individual’s Facebook page cannot be accessed due to a violation of our privacy laws, get a copy of every word typed! Does your spouse have an online calendar program, such as those offered through Google or Microsoft Outlook, which lists daily appointments? If this site shows that he was supposed to be at little Johnny’s baseball game at 4:00 pm but you have witnesses to prove otherwise, you can make the case that your spouse has priorities other than his children. Of course, in light of the Texas law detailed earlier, make sure you have constructed convincing arguments that all of the material you need is reasonable in both its content and requested format.

When it comes to electronic discovery and the Texas legal system, there are still many more questions than established areas of agreement. Divorce attorneys, when they search for case law to be used as binding or persuasive precedent concerning admissibility of electronic evidence, find only a short list of documents to review. And, with new technology emerging every day that is capable of storing financial records, personal conversations, and searches of web sites that are far from G-rated, family law judges can expect that every new estranged couple that comes before them in a courtroom brings the possibility of unchartered territory concerning evidence and what rightfully belongs on the public record. While the general statutes for the submission of electronic discovery have been written on both the federal and state level, the intentionally broad language included in the amendments will mean that difficult judgment calls should be expected for some time to come. Only time will tell how our judicial system decides to weigh an individual’s right to privacy versus the right of an accuser to have all possible evidence at his or her disposal.

When the issues are as emotionally difficult as those that often surround divorce and child custody cases, legal counsel that can guide a client through the process is even more crucial. Electronic discovery is now playing a critical role in more than 75% of divorce cases and, with new ways of hiding and revealing secrets developing all the time, an attorney versed in electronic discovery may very well have the opportunity to break new ground in the courtroom. In ten years, the case law and precedents surrounding electronic discovery will likely be well established by the courts. For now, however, this subject is certainly the “Wild West” of the legal arena. So warn your clients to be mindful of their text messages, their Facebook friends, and their online banking records. Better yet, tell them to be more mindful of maintaining a strong marriage so that there is never a need for an attorney to subpoena their hard drive in the first place. http://www.belolaw.com

How an Advanced Print Management and Spooling Solution Improves Printing in a Windows Server

In this case study, we will explore why a company needs a Print Management and Advanced Print Spooling solution like OM Plus to manage enterprise printing in their Windows Server Environment. The Windows Spooling System (WSS) is ubiquitous in large-scale Windows Server installations but there are very clear business cases where an advanced print management and spooling solution adds tremendous business value to document driven business processes.

Company – For the purposes of this case study, we have consolidated multiple companies’ Windows printing challenges in order to present a more comprehensive “picture” of the benefits that OM Plus delivers.

Business Problem – Most business processes require some type of output to be initiated and/or considered complete. This output is created by business applications (ERP’s Financial Applications, HR Applications, Payroll Applications, etc.), and includes things like invoices, checks, financial reports, shipping and manufacturing related documents, etc. The output is usually “delivered” to its end destination (most commonly a printer) to initiate and/or complete the business process. Enterprise-based output printing is most often batch oriented and is distinguished from normal desktop printing by the fact that it is mission critical. It is more demanding; time sensitive and business processes can fall apart if the printing is not successfully completed and managed. It is extremely important to the completion of a business process to know that a document has printed. Cash is not collected if invoices don’t print, goods are not shipped if the pick lists don’t print, and vendors don’t get paid if A/P checks don’t print. What is the impact on your business if invoices don’t get sent out even though your application sent them to the printer and assumes they printed?

The key business problem faced in a Windows Server environment is the lack of a robust print management and spooling system that has advanced, post-spooling functionality. The Windows Spooling System (WSS) works fairly well in terms of performing the duties for which it was designed, spooling print jobs and delivering them to a printer. However, advanced, post spooling functionality is virtually non-existent in WSS and this causes business problems. The Windows Spooling System lacks the post-spooling, batch printing tools that are needed to streamline document centric business processes in an “enterprise class” print management environment.

Key Technical Challenge – Unfortunately, none of the Windows Server Operating Systems’ WSS’s have been designed to handle the production delivery of documents across an enterprise or provide advanced “post spooling” document delivery functionality. These shortcomings of WSS impact business processes and add unnecessary support costs. Due to these shortcomings, problems arise with reliable and confirmed document delivery, centralized print management and control across dissimilar systems, document integration with electronic forms, and the supportability of the entire enterprise’s document delivery systems. Documents are lost, not delivered correctly or in a timely fashion and customer satisfaction or business processes suffer.

Additionally, because the Windows Spooling System (WSS) lacks post-spooling tools it cannot provide the following functions that are often necessary to successfully maintain an “enterprise class” print management environment. WSS does not provide:

Confirmation of the print job landing in the output tray-Assuring to the application that a document has been successfully printed

Automatic addition of print specific finishing commands without user intervention-Users can request finishing commands but this is not usually practical in large batch printing

Server level accounting-Who printed what, where and how much around the whole enterprise

Scalability of print infrastructure-After more than 150 print queues WSS scalability is questionable

Load Balancing-WSS can provide overflow load balancing but to get true “round robin” printing where all printers are shared equally, not just when the first one is busy, requires OM Plus

Document re-printing without having to re-create or re-spool the job-Since WSS purges the job after delivery to the printer buffer, there is not an easy way to re-print the job or portions of the job, without re-creating it and re-spooling it

Job priority controls-If a large job is dominating a printer, it is difficult to stop the job and allow others to print, then re-start the large job where it stopped with WSS

Auto fail-over and re-routing of jobs around failed printers-WSS can not automatically re-route a print job around a failed printe

Viewing in WYSIWYG after spooling, prior to printing-If a user wants to view the job without printing it, WSS does not provide a WYSIWYG view. This can be very useful and provide cost savings for jobs that only need to be viewed but not actually printed

The ability to block jobs automatically that are too large, unauthorized, or not to be printed on the mounted form-Business rules can not be set up in WSS so that jobs can be re-directed or put on hold when they are sent to a printer not suited to print the job, i.e. 1000 page report being sent to a desktop printer cannot be stopped, re-routed to a production size printer and then an e-mail sent to the report requester notifying them of the re-routing. With OM Plus this is possible

Re-printing from a specific page after the job has been delivered to the printer buffer-WSS will purge it when it is finished delivering the job to the printer, not when the last page is successfully printed, making it difficult to know exactly what page needs to print next. Critical need in check printing to print the next check correctly after a printer problem

Technical Solution –The technical solution implemented at our customers with these business problems is OM Plus, the Advanced Print Spooling and Print Management solution from Plus Technologies.

At the heart of the OM Plus suite of product solutions is the OM Plus Server. It monitors all system activities and performs the core tasks associated with the delivery of documents such as, job scheduling, queue management, security, job status, printer administration and other system functions. It is constantly aware of all relevant system elements, queues, printers, fax servers, e-mail servers, pagers, web pages, archive systems, e-forms, document types, user authorities, servers, and priorities.

End-to-End Confirmation

OM Plus provides end-to-end confirmation all the way to the final destination. It can even confirm the delivery of a job because it can tell when the paper has landed in the output tray for PJL compliant printers. End-to-end confirmation allows the administrators to locate the problem area when delivery interruptions and failures occur. OM Plus is fully SNMP compliant and can capture data provided by SNMP devices. This allows users to see more detailed information on device status (i.e. the printer is low on toner). OM Plus can even talk directly to web enabled devices to gather detailed status information.

Automated, event based processing

Events such as printer problems can be defined so that OM Plus automatically notifies an administrator via pager or e-mail of the printer problem. Other events such as a printer is busy or the form the job requires is loaded in another printer can trigger automatic re-routing of a print job.

Printer & Print Management

According to industry experts, a typical organization can spend as much as fifteen percent of its total revenue on printing and print management. Organizations that proactively manage their print output can reduce the high costs associated with printing.

OM Plus’ superior print management functionality improves productivity and reduces cost.

OM Plus:

Allows central control and monitoring of the status of printer devices and jobs across the entire organization from a single status screen improving help desk productivity.

Ensures delivery of output to its final destination in the correct format.

Greatly reduce help desk calls.

Maximizes printer availability.

Reduces costs associated with manual bursting and distribution of reports with electronic bursting and bundling of reports (with RD/RB Plus options)

Users can add or remove printers themselves from their own class of printers

Audit and Accounting Logs

The OM Plus accounting log tracks usage data that is required in charge back environments. The audit log assists with troubleshooting and problem resolution. Both are viewable, searchable, exportable and customizable making problem resolution faster.

Document Viewing

The viewer in OM Plus views all text documents and simple PCL. OM Plus will automatically launch additional viewers to view more complex document formats.

Printer Status Monitoring

OM Plus captures a rolling log of PJL statements from the printer. This log allows a user to view the actual status of a printer.

Implementation – On site services including installation, system configuration, testing and user training was delivered by service engineers from Plus Technologies to all of these customers. In all cases, the implementation was completed and in production within two to three weeks of the order.

Learning About The Apple Computer

Are you interested in an Apple computer? That is great news. Below we will review the Apple computer and computers in general. The personal computer has evolved so much in the last decade. Most importantly the actual speeds of these home computers are off the charts. Apple computers have some unique characteristics that differ from other personal computers.

Can you remember the days when there were no computers? Nowadays, one cannot even think without a computer, computers hold such importance in our life. The first one among all, IBM, came with the one with the rolling ball. Through computers, one can perform those things, which one even cannot dream.

The personal computer or P.C. have changed everything particularly, in the manner the documents we create today. This is a cool electronics site http://www.informationinquiry.com. Rest is history, we are assisted by the computers in each of our activities whether it be work, entertainment or playing games; no one can live without a computer! Due to limited knowledge, some of us still believe that only one kind of computer exists.

Comparing an Apple home computer is like comparing a personal pc as a regular automobile is to a Indy 500 racing car. The Indy car runs, excellent, like a normal automobile. The Indy car (and the Apple home computer) is slick and economical, built for maximum throughput. The regular auto will do what you ask it to do, with some encouraging words. The Apple computer will follow your commands like a King doling out rules. The regular auto needs rest and quite often stops working because it can’t keep up. The Indy car works on and on like a work horse does on a farm.

Well I do not blame you, since you have not seen or used the masters. A Master is like riding a wild horse full of energy and enthusiasm, which never gets tired. Each of us gain knowledge through experience. Therefore, it is high time for you to try the machines like Apple desktop computers or Mac. Whenever you get a chance to handle such a machine, go for it and then you will realize the difference between them. With the change in technology, one should be updated.

You might think that I am just saying this for the sake of it. But, I became a true believer after a month with my Apple desktop when I suddenly realized, it had never crashed even once. The other system crashes about twice a day. If you worked with a PC for a long time, you will need some time to adjust. Not that the Apple computer is difficult; it is just slightly different.

To open a file from the "finder" known on a PC as the explorer, you can't press 'return'. Such things will take time for you to adjust. And here is another thing that is different with an Apple desktop. No viruses. I do not even own a virus cleaning system although I keep a virus checker going in the background on my Apple desktop computer. And what do you think it finds? A Mac is immune to all known viruses.

Another thing, about an Apple computer, that is great is the automatic software updates. You just need to connect to the Net and it automatically calls home for updates. No checking the website, no figuring out what you need. The operating system and installed apple software is updated automatically.

I hope this review of Apple computers was deemed useful by you and your peers. We could easily write for days about Apple computers. They are truly a unique machine and can’t really be compared to other personal computers. Like comparing Apples to bananas! Enjoy your Apple computer!

Microsoft Dynamics GP 9.0 � Great Plains: customization, integration, reporting & development FAQ

Microsoft Dynamics GP 9.0 has multiple improvements and “Project Green” innovations. One of the new key words, Microsoft Business Solutions people like to introduce and increase the frequency of using is eConnect. eConnect object and methods will have more exposure for Visual Studio.Net C# or VB developers through XML web services. Also emphasis shift will be in the field of Microsoft Dynamics GP Business Portal, this is also understandable – Microsoft has to deemphasize former legacy proprietary technologies, such as Microsoft Dexterity (former Great Plains Software Dexterity), Navision C/SIDE (this is in case of Microsoft Dynamics NAV – former Navision Attain), step-by-step phasing them off and replacing with open-source .Net web development. In this small article will touch the “top of the iceberg” in Microsoft Great Plains 9.0 customization, development and integration.

• Microsoft Dexterity Source Code Program reopening. When Microsoft bought Great Plains Software five years ago – it quickly closed Great Plains Dexterity source code program for new enrollments, leaving it open for existing VARs. One of the reasons in our opinion was Microsoft optimism in quick Microsoft Business Solutions product merge: Great Plains, Navision, Axapta, Solomon. It didn’t happen with the expected speed and now it is clear that serious development for Microsoft Dynamics GP requires Microsoft Dexterity skills and experience and access to the source code (DYNAMICS.DIC with Dex sanscripts codes). If you plan your custom application to work with Microsoft Dynamics GP “fat client” – it is DEX.EXE with DYNAMICS.DIC, Dynamics.set and your custom dex dictionary – the Microsoft Dexterity is the tool of choice.

• Microsoft Dynamics GP Integration Manager. Former Microsoft Great Plains Integration Manager – versions 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0 were based on OLE technologies, deploying Dexterity application as OLE server, and so using Great Plains Forms to implement integration. The result was moderate and slow performance. Now Integration Manager is in the process of being rewritten in eConnect – eConnect will have majority of Microsoft Dynamics GP forms and objects: SOP, POP, IV, Payroll, AR, AP, GL, BR, Manufacturing, BOM. Some drawback of this nice innovative feature – if you are using heavy customization if former Microsoft Access based IM database – you should consider rewriting your customization in new IM.

• Reporting. ReportWriter will stay, however Microsoft SQL Reporting Services will be the reporting tool of choice over former Crystal Reports. You should expect phased change from Crystal to MSSQL Server RS.

• Tables Structure. Will stay – this will mean certain legacy eCommerce programs staying in business reassurance. SOP10100, SOP10200, SOP30200, SOP30300, GL00100, RM00101, PM00200 and other tables will be around for the next … 10 years or so

Please do not hesitate to call or email us: USA 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918 help@albaspectrum.com